Trolley-harp.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907..

J. L. GHASE. TROLLEY HARP. APPLIOATION FILED JUL Y18.19'O7.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. CHASE, OF AYER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RALPH .I. JOSLIN, OF WEBSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROLLEY-HARP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed July 13. 1907. Serial No. 384.398.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. CHAsE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ayer, county of MiddleseX, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Trolley-Harps, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a trolley-harp embodying various novel features of construction, operation and arrangement, whereby the wear and tear upon the structure is diminished and its life increased, the construction simplified and cheapened and the operation improved.

In my present invention I connect the base and head of the harp in such manner that the head may have a lateral movement relatively to the base when the trolley-wheel is traveling around curves. Thereby the strain on the parts is greatly reduced and the wheel runs much more smoothly, reducing wear thereupon.

I have made a novel form of trolley-wheel, arranged for self-lubrication in a sim lo and eflicient manner, and I have provic ed the wheel with a plurality of peripheral wirereceiving grooves. These grooves are so arranged that the wire may easily pass from one to another, equalizing the wear upon the wheel and I have found that the life of the wheel so constructed is in practice more than double that of the ordinary form of wheel now in use. i

The novel features of-my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley-harp embodying one form of my present invention, a ortion of the supporting pole being shown; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22, Fig. 1 Fig. 8 is a section on the irregular line 3-3, Fig. 2, looking toward the left.

Referring to the drawings, the harp comprises a base (1 having a tubular or socketed lower end a/ to receive the upper end of the usual metallic trolley-pole P, the upper end of the base having opposite ears a which receive between them the lower hub-like portion of the head I), which is provided with a tongue I), the upper portion of the head being bifurcated to present cheeks b Said cheeks are parallel to each other and in planes at right angles to the tongue I) the latter entering a notch or slot a in the base between and below the ears 0, A pivot-pin a is extended through the tongue and is firmly held at its ends in the base portion of the harp, so that the head may have a swinging move ment laterally relatively to the base.

In order to limit the swinging movement of the head the lower part thereof is shaped to present shoulders b which cooperate with the stop portions a of the base, see Fig. 2.

One of the checks 6 has a socket b, Fig. 2, and the opposite cheek has an oppositely located, externally threaded tubular boss 12 on its outer face, the wheel shaft 0 being passed through the boss and seated in the socket b, but loosely, so that said shaft may revolve, a retaining cap b being screwed onto the boss to hold the shaft in place. A spring finger b fastened at one end on the head is adapted at its free end to snap into a neck or slot 17 in the cap to lock it from rotation.

The shaft 0 and the pivotal connection a between the base and head of the harp are at right angles to each other, as will be clear from the drawings.

As the trolley-wheel travels around curves it will cause the head of the harp to swing laterally in one or the other direction, without having to force the pole with it, and thereby the strain upon the parts is very greatly diminished and the wheel will travel in a much smoother manner, with decreased wear.

In accordance with my-present invention I make the wheel of two like circular parts or sections (1, d, each section having on its outer face a short hub d in which is inserted a bushing d the hubs having formed in them a circularly arranged series of sockets to receive plugs f of lubricating material, such as graphite, or other suitable solid lubricant.

Each section 01 is peripherally grooved at (1 and the outer wall of the groove is carried up to form an extended annular flange d, the inner wall of each groove being quite shallow, as at (i When the two sections are assembled, as in Fig. 2, the inner walls d abut and form a central ridge between the grooves defining the latter but offering very little resistance to the transference of the trolley Wire from one to the other groove. By this construction the Wire will engage the wheel first in one and then in the other groove, the change being due to the variations in the direction of the wire, the vibrations of the moving car, etc. The wear is far better distributed on the wheel by this arrangement of grooving, and it has been found that a wheel so grooved will far outlast one having the usual single groove. Each section, preferably, has an internal central recess d, concentric with the bushings (F, and before assembling one or more rings f Fig. 2, of

graphite are loosely inserted in the recess,

the sections (1 being held together in any suitable manner, as by bolts 20.

The shaft 0 is passed loosely through the lubricating rings and through the bushings (Z and bent springs s are interposed between the cheeks b and the ends of the wheel-hubs d, as shown in Fig. 2, to prevent rattling or improper lateral movement of the wheel, which rotates on the shaft 0. This shaft also is rotatable in the head of the harp, so that the friction and wear are reduced to a minimum.

The lubricating rings f X supply lubricant for the shaft and bushings, in a convenient and effective manner, and the plugs f of graphite or other suitable material serve to lubricate the contacting surfaces of the wheel-hubs and the springs.

At times the trolley-wheel is thrown off the Wire and frequently one of the crosswires will come with great violence against the wheel, tending to fracture it. Herein, to prevent this I provide guards, shown as enlarging the cheeks b on their upper and leading edges, to form guards 5 which project well beyond the flanges d and effectually shield the same from engaging cross-wires or other wire supports. Preferably the edge of the guard is concaved. at 6 so as to guide a cross-wire up and over the guard, thereby carrying the wheel safely and easily under and beyond the obstruction.

The wheel is self-lubricating, it can be readily made and assembled, and it has long life, and by mounting the wheel rotatably on the shaft, and the latter rotatably 'in the harp, I overcome any danger of wear should either the wheel or the shaft become stuck and refuse to rotate.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a trolley-harp a head having laterally separated cheeks, one of the cheeks having a socket and the other cheek having an opposite, externally threaded boss, a shaft extended through the boss and into the extended to form an annular flange, the inner, adjacent and relatively shallow sides of the grooves being of less diameter than the flanges and forming a central ridge separating the rooves.

3. A trol ey-wheel consisting of two similar circular sections each having a peripheral groove and an enlarged annular flange at the outer side of each groove, a hub on the outer face of each section, and a series of sockets surrounding each hub.

4. A trolley-wheel consisting of two similar circular sections each having a peripheral groove and an enlarged annular flange at the outer side of each groove, each section having an internal circular recess concentric with its axis. Y

5. A tro1ley-wheel consisting of two similar circular sections each having a peripheral groove and an enlarged annular flange at the outer side of each groove, each section having an internal circular recess concentric with its axis, and a series of sockets in the outer face of each section concentric with its axis.

6. The combination with a trolley-harp, of a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a wheel rotatably mounted on the shaft and consisting of two similar circular sections each having a peripheral groove and an enlarged annular flange at the outer side of each groove, each section having a circular recess in its inner face concentric with its axis, and a ring of graphite loosely encircling the shaft within the circular recesses.

7. The combination with a trolley-harp, of a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a peripherally grooved wheel rotatably mounted on the shaft and having an internal receptacle for lubricating material, spring members between the sides of the wheel and the tric with its axis, a hub on the outer face of each section, and a series of sockets surrounding each hub, the lower inner sides of the peripheral grooves forming a dividin ridge between the rooves when the whee sections are assemb ed. socket, a wheel peripherally grooved and In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES L. CHASE.

Witnesses:

Geo. W. SANDERsoN, JOHN H. TURNER. 

